Quantitative Exploration and Discussion Seminar: AI Advocates for Better Science Communication

Quantitative Exploration and Discussion (QED) Seminar

The Interdisciplinary Quantitative Biology PhD students of the BioFrontiers Institute welcome Tony Ruth for a thought-provoking discussion about using AI for better science communication.

Date: October 19

Time: 4:30 PM

Location: JSCBB A108

Speaker: Tony Ruth, Design Director for Wellcome Leap and Founder at Early Mammal

Title: AI Advocates for Better Science Communication: Training conversational LLMs to inhabit the perspectives of audiences we need to reach

Tony will be joined by special guests with Wellcome Leap and Melinda Gates’s Pivotal

Description: Right now, most AI tools cater to your commands, reinforce your existing point of view, and then deploy assets at maximum speed, whether or not the information is reliable. We’re building an alternative approach that uses LLMs as conversation partners that prepare scientists for better communication. We’ll show you how to train an LLM to consider the worldview, speaking style, and emotional response of a real-world audience that you need to connect with, including audiences that may not want to hear what you have to say. They enable researchers to build muscle for tough conversations, learn new points of view, and build trust in science for the long term.

Over the last two years, we’ve been prototyping tools for improved communication: designed to build empathy, strengthen perspective-taking, improve messaging, and help communicators find common ground with key audiences. This will be the first public presentation of these tools, and open conversation is encouraged. We’re working to understand the boundaries within which we can use this approach to AI ethically and effectively.